44. 4 Warm-Up Drills for Effective Phonics Instruction

In this episode of Literacy in Color, we’re diving into 4 quick, high-impact phonics drills that spark engagement and build automaticity, without eating up your entire lesson time.

These warm-ups aren’t about “drill and kill.” Instead, they’re short, intentional routines that help students review and retrieve previously taught phonics content. Whether you’re a classroom teacher or interventionist, these drills can be used flexibly, across whole group, small group, or even 1:1 settings.

4 Types of Drills:

• Visual Drill
• Auditory Drill
• Vowel Drill
• Blending Drill

Whether you’re just starting with structured literacy or looking to refine your phonics block, these quick drills are a powerful way to build momentum and confidence for every student.

Helpful Tools:

• Sound Deck for Visual Drill
• Spelling Frequency Posters

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